SABA Reliance Questionnaire publication in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice
A paper published today in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, presents a pragmatic new tool for identifying patients whose beliefs indicate over-reliance on SABA for asthma. The paper, titled: SABA Reliance Questionnaire (SRQ): Identifying Patient Beliefs Underpinning Reliever Overreliance in Asthma, reports on the evaluation of the SRQ in 446 patients with self-reported asthma.[i]
For safety reasons, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) no longer recommends treatment of asthma with a SABA (short-acting beta2 agonist) alone.[ii] Instead, to reduce the risk of serious exacerbations, all asthma patients should receive ICS-containing treatment either symptom-driven for mild asthma, or daily for moderate to severe disease.[iii]
Despite this updated recommendation, many asthma patients continue to over-rely on and overuse their SABA inhaler, putting them at a greater risk of asthma attacks, hospitalisation and even premature death.[iv] The problem of patients’ over-reliance on SABA therapy along with underuse of an ICS is not just confined to those with mild asthma, it is a serious issue across all severities.[v],[vi],[vii]
The study results support the use of the SRQ for identifying patients whose beliefs are indicative of over-reliance on SABA for asthma.[viii] The SRQ assesses patients views about their personal need for SABA and is derived from the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), an internationally recognised valid and reliable measure of patients’ beliefs about treatment that has been widely used in asthma.[ix],[x],[xi],[xii]
The SRQ is available for use as part of asthma consultations, where healthcare professionals can screen patients for SABA over-reliance, and target behaviour change interventions to those at highest risk, in a way that is individualised to the patient’s unique beliefs about SABA treatment. It represents an important first step towards addressing the global issue of SABA over-reliance.
To access the full article, please click here - https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(20)30722-4/abstract.
[i] Chan A, Katzer C, Horne R et al. JACI: In Practice. SABA Reliance Questionnaire (SRQ): Identifying Patient Beliefs Underpinning Reliever Overreliance in Asthma. Available at: https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(20)30722-4/abstract.
[ii] Global Initiative for Asthma. Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention. 2020 Update. Available at: https://ginasthma.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/GINA-2020-report_20_06_04-1-wms.pdf.
[iii] Global Initiative for Asthma. Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention. 2020 Update. Available at: https://ginasthma.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/GINA-2020-report_20_06_04-1-wms.pdf.
[iv] Humbert M, Andersson TL, Buhl R. Budesonide/formoterol for maintenance and reliever therapy in the management of moderate to severe asthma. Allergy. 2008; 63: 1567–80.
[v] FitzGerald JM, Tavakoli H, Lynd LD, et al. The impact of inappropriate use of short acting beta agonists in asthma. Respir Med. 2017; 131:135–40.
[vi] Partridge MR, van der Molen T, Myrseth SE, Busse WW. Attitudes and actions of asthma patients on regular maintenance therapy: the INSPIRE study. BMC Pulm Med. 2006; 6: 13.
[vii] Sadatsafavi M, Tavakoli H, Lynd L, FitzGerald JM. Has asthma medication use caught up with the evidence? A 12-year population-based study of trends. Chest. 2017; 151 (3): 612–8.
[viii] Chan A, Katzer C, Horne R et al. JACI: In Practice. SABA Reliance Questionnaire (SRQ): Identifying Patient Beliefs Underpinning Reliever Overreliance in Asthma. Available at: https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(20)30722-4/abstract.
[ix] Chapman S, Dale P, Svedsater H, et al. Modelling the effect of beliefs about asthma medication and treatment intrusiveness on adherence and preference for once-daily vs. twice-daily medication. NPJ primary care respiratory medicine 2017; 27(1): 61.
[x] Menckeberg TT, Bouvy ML, Bracke M, et al. Beliefs about medicines predict refill adherence to inhaled corticosteroids. Journal of psychosomatic research 2008; 64(1): 47-54.
[xi] Horne R, Weinman J. Self-regulation and self-management in asthma: Exploring the role of illness perceptions and treatment beliefs in explaining non-adherence to preventer medication 5545. Psychology and Health 2002; 17(1): 17-32.
[xii] Horne R, Weinman J, Hankins M. The Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire: the development and evaluation of a new method for assessing the cognitive representation of medication. Psychology & health 1999; 14: 1-24.